The Lasting Horrors of Capital Punishment

Kelly Gissendaner was finally executed this week. She was the first woman to be executed in Georgia in 70 years. Although she helped plan the murder, she did not have any physical part in carrying it out. I'm sure there have been female murderers in the past 70 years who deserved this more than her. The pain and agony it has left on her family is a tragedy. The actual murderer was spared the death penalty.

Her hit man plead guilty to avoid the death penalty, but she chose to fight the charge and lost. The death penalty is often the consequence for committing murder (directly or indirectly) and that's all there is to it.

Yeah I read about that. It was kinda shocking that both her children had to chose between seeing her one last time before her death, or go to the court to fight her case. So of course the children went to court but the judge decided to kill her anyways so the children couldn't even say goodbye. Even the Pope intervened and to no avail.

Im not saying it was right or wrong to kill her, as Im not familiar with her case. But what I find shitty is they did everything so dramatically for the people around her, which in the end are the ones left with the scars.

James_Thunder_Early saidHer hit man plead guilty to avoid the death penalty, but she chose to fight the charge and lost. The death penalty is often the consequence for committing murder (directly or indirectly) and that's all there is to it.

She took her chances and lost. The courts don't like it when you waste their time. You will pay a stiffer penalty than if you just admit your guilt and save everyone the time and effort.

David666k saidYeah I read about that. It was kinda shocking that both her children had to chose between seeing her one last time before her death, or go to the court to fight her case. So of course the children went to court but the judge decided to kill her anyways so the children couldn't even say goodbye. Even the Pope intervened and to no avail.

Im not saying it was right or wrong to kill her, as Im not familiar with her case. But what I find shitty is they did everything so dramatically for the people around her, which in the end are the ones left with the scars.

And she ultimately is responsible for their scars. Why should the judge take her kids into consideration when their own mother wasn't thinking of them when she helped plan their father's murder? Let's place the blame where it squarely belongs.

MuchMoreThanMuscle saidI know there are instances where the death penalty was applied to the wrong person and an innocent person was executed. That really disturbs me. But when there is no doubt and you have a confession all I can say is, if I schemed and successfully partook in a murder that ended someone's life I would accept my punishment.

What if they made you sit in prison for 18 years AND be executed? Seems like one or the other would make more sense but not both. There are many worse murderers who have gotten off with less punishment. Not to mention she reformed herself.

MuchMoreThanMuscle saidI know there are instances where the death penalty was applied to the wrong person and an innocent person was executed. That really disturbs me. But when there is no doubt and you have a confession all I can say is, if I schemed and successfully partook in a murder that ended someone's life I would accept my punishment.

What if they made you sit in prison for 18 years AND be executed? Seems like one or the other would make more sense but not both. There are many worse murderers who have gotten off with less punishment. Not to mention she reformed herself.

That was probably her and her attorney's doing through the appeals process. I personally would rather be executed than sit in prison for the rest of my life.

MuchMoreThanMuscle saidI know there are instances where the death penalty was applied to the wrong person and an innocent person was executed. That really disturbs me. But when there is no doubt and you have a confession all I can say is, if I schemed and successfully partook in a murder that ended someone's life I would accept my punishment.

What if they made you sit in prison for 18 years AND be executed? Seems like one or the other would make more sense but not both. There are many worse murderers who have gotten off with less punishment. Not to mention she reformed herself.

That was probably her and her attorney's doing through the appeals process. I personally would rather be executed than sit in prison for the rest of my life.

Yeah, but we're talking about being killed here. It's hard for any of us to imagine but I would think begging to have your life spared would be a natural instinct that would be hard to suppress.

Yeah, but we're talking about being killed here. It's hard for any of us to imagine but I would think begging to have your life spared would be a natural instinct that would be hard to suppress.

And as you say that, I can only wonder what Kelly's husband, Doug, said before he was dragged into a wooded forest, forced onto his hands and knees and stabbed multiple times in the neck until he died.

Yeah, but we're talking about being killed here. It's hard for any of us to imagine but I would think begging to have your life spared would be a natural instinct that would be hard to suppress.

And as you say that, I can only wonder what Kelly's husband, Doug, said before he was dragged into a wooded forest, forced onto his hands and knees and stabbed multiple times in the neck until he died.

This is what I thought about, the victim whose life was brutally and deliberately taken. The murderer may have been executed, but she suffered a lot less than her husband did.

David666k saidYeah I read about that. It was kinda shocking that both her children had to chose between seeing her one last time before her death, or go to the court to fight her case. So of course the children went to court but the judge decided to kill her anyways so the children couldn't even say goodbye. Even the Pope intervened and to no avail.

Im not saying it was right or wrong to kill her, as Im not familiar with her case. But what I find shitty is they did everything so dramatically for the people around her, which in the end are the ones left with the scars.

And she ultimately is responsible for their scars. Why should the judge take her kids into consideration when their own mother wasn't thinking of them when she helped plan their father's murder? Let's place the blame where it squarely belongs.

They should have let them see her once last time to say goodbye and have a closure before killing her. What was the rush?

The reason I don't support the death penalty, even in extreme cases, is because by killing someone you make it too simple for them. It's easy to cease to exist, but it's better for that person to rot in prison and let them regret every single day what they did. Hopefully they will come into senses and try to do something positive with the time they have, in prison. Also, put them to work to generate income so they're not a liability for tax payers.

Yeah, but we're talking about being killed here. It's hard for any of us to imagine but I would think begging to have your life spared would be a natural instinct that would be hard to suppress.

And as you say that, I can only wonder what Kelly's husband, Doug, said before he was dragged into a wooded forest, forced onto his hands and knees and stabbed multiple times in the neck until he died.

People always retort with statements like this as if no one has ever considered what the victim of the crime went through. I cannot imagine how horrible it must be to be stabbed to death in the neck of all places. But at some point, we must rise above the mentality of the killer. We need to dig deep into ourselves and find empathy, even though the killer may have had none when the crime was committed. Otherwise, we are no better than the person we are attempting to punish.

And if this is how we are going to punish people who commit these types of crimes, we should do it for all of them. There are people who actually killed people who are walking the streets today. And here we have this woman who plotted the murder but had no part in the physical act itself who not only was killed but also served 18 years in prison. The torture of being locked in a cell for 18 years, never knowing which day you were going to be killed is something I don't think many people ever consider. The mental anguish of this alone would be cruel enough punishment. And no one seems to care how many lives are destroyed by killing the killer. Murder is barbaric and just because it's done with a syringe doesn't make it any less savage.

I'm not against capital punishment. If you go out of your way to kill somebody with intent, then you deserve to have your own life ended too. Plus there's so much money that goes into maintaining all those prisoners in moderate health. This way you can get rid of those who really shouldn't be allowed around normal people again. Prisons are not rehabilitation centers, not for heavy crimes. It would take the weight off the state.

Razvigor saidI'm not against capital punishment. If you go out of your way to kill somebody with intent, then you deserve to have your own life ended too. Plus there's so much money that goes into maintaining all those prisoners in moderate health.

The death penalty is much more expensive than life without parole because the Constitution requires a long and complex judicial process for capital cases. This process is needed in order to ensure that innocent men and woman are not executed for crimes they did not commit, and even with these protections the risk of executing an innocent person can not be completely eliminated.

If the death penalty was replaced with a sentence of Life Without the Possibility of Parole, which costs millions less and also ensures that the public is protected while eliminating the risk of an irreversible mistake, the money saved could be spent on programs that actually improve the communities in which we live. The millions of dollars in savings could be spent on: education, roads, police officers and public safety programs, after-school programs, drug and alcohol treatment, child abuse prevention programs, mental health services, and services for crime victims and their families. So please stop assuming killing people is cheaper, not to mention that's a horrible way to justify it!

One aspect of all this which is rarely discussed is the effect carrying out an execution has on those involved. I can't imagine how hardening it would be, and statistics show that those involved often develop mental/social problems. Yes, they volunteer - but should anyone be allowed to volunteer to help kill someone? And then there are the non-volunteers, such as clergy, wardens...

Given that the death penalty seems to have no deterrent effect, that it is more expensive than lifelong imprisonment, that the innocent are sometimes executed (and the large number of exonerations from DNA analysis), the racial weighting of the death penalty, and the effect on those involved, the death penalty should be eliminated.

Radd saidThe death penalty is much more expensive than life without parole because the Constitution requires a long and complex judicial process for capital cases. This process is needed in order to ensure that innocent men and woman are not executed for crimes they did not commit, and even with these protections the risk of executing an innocent person can not be completely eliminated.

If the death penalty was replaced with a sentence of Life Without the Possibility of Parole, which costs millions less and also ensures that the public is protected while eliminating the risk of an irreversible mistake, the money saved could be spent on programs that actually improve the communities in which we live. The millions of dollars in savings could be spent on: education, roads, police officers and public safety programs, after-school programs, drug and alcohol treatment, child abuse prevention programs, mental health services, and services for crime victims and their families. So please stop assuming killing people is cheaper, not to mention that's a horrible way to justify it!

Okay, I would agree with you if that's the case in the US. I thought it was similar in cost to my own country, where the death penalty costs less than actually keeping the criminal alive till the end of their life. I thought it was the same in the US, which is why I made the comment.

Radd saidThe death penalty is much more expensive than life without parole because the Constitution requires a long and complex judicial process for capital cases. This process is needed in order to ensure that innocent men and woman are not executed for crimes they did not commit, and even with these protections the risk of executing an innocent person can not be completely eliminated.

If the death penalty was replaced with a sentence of Life Without the Possibility of Parole, which costs millions less and also ensures that the public is protected while eliminating the risk of an irreversible mistake, the money saved could be spent on programs that actually improve the communities in which we live. The millions of dollars in savings could be spent on: education, roads, police officers and public safety programs, after-school programs, drug and alcohol treatment, child abuse prevention programs, mental health services, and services for crime victims and their families. So please stop assuming killing people is cheaper, not to mention that's a horrible way to justify it!

Okay, I would agree with you if that's the case in the US. I thought it was similar in cost to my own country, where the death penalty costs less than actually keeping the criminal alive till the end of their life. I thought it was the same in the US, which is why I made the comment.

I understand. However, even here in the U.S. where we must go through rigorous appeals and evidence, we still end up killing innocent people. Just imagine how many innocent people are killed in your country where the standards are not so high. Even the death of one innocent person is reason enough to stop the death penalty.